[I LUV WI]

96 Taurus 3.0L 130K new front tires, struts, rotors, and pads.
When driving at around 30mph the steering wheel tends to want to go back and forth a bit, not enough for the car to wander in the road, but you can feel it in the wheel and if you take your hand off you can see it plain as day. If I said it goes from 11:00 to 1:00 would be a push but you get the idea. It goes away as you go faster, or maybe its going faster to and you just don't notice it as much. Alignment is good, will track straight down the interstate at 70mph. Any ideas what to check?

 

[callustoe]

Did you have your tires balanced? May also be a hub bearing on its way out. Is there an extra growling noise coming from the front end? Make sure your wheels are on straight and all the lug nuts are the tight.

 

[baby sho]

i say have the tires rebalanced....

 

[tmonster]

Last time I had my car alligned and tires balanced the steering wheel felt...floaty going down the highway...

 

[silvapain]

Originally posted by Baby SHO@Sep 27 2004, 09:18 PM
i say have the tires rebalanced....

ding ding ding! And brad is right again!

 

[I LUV WI]

Not so sure it's a tire balance issue. Did it with the old tires and new. Does it after you rotate the tires. Any other ideas?

 

[jubersax]

Originally posted by I LUV WI@Sep 28 2004, 04:55 PM
Not so sure it's a tire balance issue. Did it with the old tires and new. Does it after you rotate the tires. Any other ideas?

Does it get worse when you brake?

 

[ststephen]

If it IS worse when braking, might be warped rotors, mine were warped and shook like crazy when braking.

 

[I LUV WI]

Rotors are new all the way around along with pads.

 

[ststephen]

Hmmm...you got me. Doesn't sound like a major issue given you say the car tracks straight anyway.

 

[jason8225]

Bent rim perhaps?? I think I might have one of those. <_<

 

[silvapain]

Originally posted by I LUV WI@Sep 28 2004, 03:55 PM
Not so sure it's a tire balance issue. Did it with the old tires and new. Does it after you rotate the tires. Any other ideas?

You have to balance the tires pretty frequently, especially after you have rotated them a time or two.

 

[kms250]

I've experienced a GREAT deal of pain in this department first-hand for over a YEAR. Found out the dealer, despite having and using TWO different balancing machines, different mechanics, new tires, new rotors, resurfaced rotors, replaced wheel and a complete four-wheel alignment could not figure out the problem: their balancing machines went out of calibration. It took going to another dealer to prove this and 20K more miles/one year later now, the problem has not returned.